Dairy alert! This recipe includes cheese, yogurt, butter, and sour cream. When I make it, I substitute the sour cream with Tofutti sour cream to reduce the lactose in it. And I use sharp cheddar cheese. But, if you are quite lactose-intolerant then skip this one. For those avoiding gluten who can eat dairy, it will work as the perfect anchor for a wonderful vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
1 eggplant
1 Portobello mushroom
1 c. rice (uncooked)
6 oz. tomato paste (1 small can)
8 oz. tomato sauce (1 small can)
¼ c. warm water
½ c. sour cream (or Tofutti sour cream substitute)
½ c. yogurt
2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese (or other cheese of your choice)
1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ c. flax seed meal (or wheat germ if you eat gluten)
¼ c. butter
Salt to taste
Directions
Cook the rice in advance. Use 1 cup of uncooked rice to 2 cups of water and simmer on very low heat for 45-55 minutes. I recommend using an exotic rice, such as black japonica or red rice combined with a little wild rice. However, any rice will work fine (e.g., brown rice or Basmati rice). I like to add a teaspoon of olive oil to the cooking rice, but it is not necessary.
Preheat the oven to 350˚ and grease a large, oblong baking dish.
Peel the eggplant and slice it into thin rounds (not more than ¼-inch thick). Chop the Portobello mushroom into small pieces. Keep these vegetables separate from each other. Grate the cheese and set it aside.
Combine all the wet ingredients and the herbs in a bowl, stirring the tomato paste in well. Reserve the flax seed meal and butter for the topping and do not add the grated cheese to the wet mixture either.
This is how to assemble this dish. First spread the cooked rice in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms on top. Pour half of the wet mixture over this and spread it to the edges with a spoon. Sprinkle half (one cup) of the grated cheese over the mixture. Lay the eggplant rounds on next, placing them in an even layer that covers the cheese. Then pour the other half of the wet mixture over the eggplant rounds, spreading it to the edges. Sprinkle the other half (one cup) of the grated cheese over the eggplant rounds. Sprinkle the flax seed meal across the cheese and then dot generously with butter.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350˚, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 8 minutes to crisp up the top. This makes enough to serve about 6 people.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Charoset
A Passover favorite and traditional dish, Charoset could easily be served at any time of the year as a sweet appetizer to be eaten with crackers. Try dipping sweet-potato chips or rice chips into it for a party treat any time of year. During Passover, of course, Charoset is eaten with matzah.
Ingredients
4 apples (sweet, not tart)
2 c. chopped walnuts
½ c. sweet red wine (Manischewitz will do the trick nicely and feel free to add a little more to suit your taste)
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 tbsp. honey
Directions
Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces. Chop the walnuts in a nut chopper. Combine all the ingredients and allow to sit for half an hour (covered) in the refrigerator so that the apples make a little juice.
Ready to serve.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously! (And a Joyous Pesach to all!)
Ingredients
4 apples (sweet, not tart)
2 c. chopped walnuts
½ c. sweet red wine (Manischewitz will do the trick nicely and feel free to add a little more to suit your taste)
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 tbsp. honey
Directions
Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces. Chop the walnuts in a nut chopper. Combine all the ingredients and allow to sit for half an hour (covered) in the refrigerator so that the apples make a little juice.
Ready to serve.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously! (And a Joyous Pesach to all!)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Lentil Miso Soup
Miso makes a lovely soup base and trumps the need for a soup stock. I like to use red miso because it makes a hearty soup, and the flavor complements lentils nicely. The lentils should be soaked overnight to soften them up.
Ingredients
4 c. water
1 c. brown lentils (soaked in 4 c. water overnight)
1/4 c. adzuki beans (optional – if you use them, soak them with the lentils overnight)
3 tbsp. red miso
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 chopped carrots
3 chopped celery stalks
¼ c. chopped onion (or 1 tsp. onion powder)
2 crushed garlic cloves (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
2 shredded collard leaves (optional)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
Directions
Soak the lentils (and beans if used) over night in 4-5 cups of water. Before cooking the soup, drain the lentils and beans and rinse them thoroughly. Put 4 cups of water into a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the brown lentils (and adzuki beans) and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot. Let it simmer for one hour.
Slice the carrots, chop the celery, and chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, turn down the heat and sauté the vegetables along with the crushed garlic cloves for a couple of minutes. If you use onion and garlic powders instead of the real vegetables, then don’t add them here. You will add them a little later.
Chop the collard leaves into shreds if you wish to include this ingredient. Set the collards aside.
After one hour, remove the pot with the lentils from the burner. Add the red miso and stir it in until it completely dissolves in the water. Then add 1-2 cups of additional water, depending on how thick you want the soup. Add the lemon juice. Put all the vegetables (both the sauté and the collards) and all the herbs/spices into the pot. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 20 minutes. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add a little water. It’s ready!
If you eat dairy, then try a little grated parmesan in this soup, or a dollop of sour cream.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Ingredients
4 c. water
1 c. brown lentils (soaked in 4 c. water overnight)
1/4 c. adzuki beans (optional – if you use them, soak them with the lentils overnight)
3 tbsp. red miso
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 chopped carrots
3 chopped celery stalks
¼ c. chopped onion (or 1 tsp. onion powder)
2 crushed garlic cloves (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
2 shredded collard leaves (optional)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
Directions
Soak the lentils (and beans if used) over night in 4-5 cups of water. Before cooking the soup, drain the lentils and beans and rinse them thoroughly. Put 4 cups of water into a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the brown lentils (and adzuki beans) and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot. Let it simmer for one hour.
Slice the carrots, chop the celery, and chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, turn down the heat and sauté the vegetables along with the crushed garlic cloves for a couple of minutes. If you use onion and garlic powders instead of the real vegetables, then don’t add them here. You will add them a little later.
Chop the collard leaves into shreds if you wish to include this ingredient. Set the collards aside.
After one hour, remove the pot with the lentils from the burner. Add the red miso and stir it in until it completely dissolves in the water. Then add 1-2 cups of additional water, depending on how thick you want the soup. Add the lemon juice. Put all the vegetables (both the sauté and the collards) and all the herbs/spices into the pot. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 20 minutes. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add a little water. It’s ready!
If you eat dairy, then try a little grated parmesan in this soup, or a dollop of sour cream.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Cilantro Tomatillo Salsa
If you like spicy (picante!) food then this is one of those appetizers that you will find addictive. Combined with a bowl of chips as an appetizer, this salsa will upstage the main meal.
Ingredients
2 bunches of cilantro
1 large avocado
4 tomatillos
2 Jalapeňo or Serrano chiles (or 3 if you love extra spicy)
1/3 c. chunked red onion
salt to taste
Directions
Cut the tomatillos, chiles, and onion into chunks and sear them by heating a cast iron pan until it’s hot and placing the vegetables into the pan dry, turning them frequently, to slightly brown them and make them soft. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whirl until fully blended. Add a tiny bit of water if necessary for smooth texture and ease of blending.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Ingredients
2 bunches of cilantro
1 large avocado
4 tomatillos
2 Jalapeňo or Serrano chiles (or 3 if you love extra spicy)
1/3 c. chunked red onion
salt to taste
Directions
Cut the tomatillos, chiles, and onion into chunks and sear them by heating a cast iron pan until it’s hot and placing the vegetables into the pan dry, turning them frequently, to slightly brown them and make them soft. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whirl until fully blended. Add a tiny bit of water if necessary for smooth texture and ease of blending.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Potato Cheese Casserole Au Gratin (Gluten-Free)
What? A gluten-free au gratin? Impossible. Au gratin by definition means that the dish has breadcrumbs on top. Enter my all-purpose breadcrumb substitute: flax seed meal. Flax seed meal is high in Omega-3 oil and provides fiber. It’s also tasty. This recipe is a version of scalloped potatoes with a crusty flax seed meal topping. It serves about four people and can be made with hard cheese and lactose-free milk for those who do not digest lactose well.
Ingredients
4 potatoes average size (about the size of a woman’s fist)
¼ c. finely chopped onions (or 1 tsp. onion powder)
1½ c. grated cheddar cheese (or gruyere, Fontina, or other; or combination)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 eggs
1 c. whole milk (lactose-free works fine)
¼ c. flax seed meal
¼ tsp. black pepper
Dusting of paprika
Salt to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350˚. Slice the potatoes very thin (no need to scrape off the skins). If your potato slices are thicker, then you will need to bake the casserole longer to get the potatoes to soften up. Chop the onion. Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent (a few minutes). Grate the cheese. Grease a baking dish with butter and then spread 1 tbsp. of olive oil in the bottom of it. Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish, sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese (about ½ c. on top. Spread a second layer of potatoes, cover them with the onions (or onion powder) and again sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Place the final layer of potatoes in the baking dish and cover them with the rest of the cheese. Beat the eggs and combine them with the milk. Add the salt and pepper to the eggs and milk. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle the flax seed meal across the top. Dust with paprika. Generously dot the top with butter.
Cover the casserole and bake for 50 minutes at 350˚. Then uncover the casserole and bake for an additional 15 minutes to crisp the top.
If you want a richer and creamier au gratin, then toss the potato slices with ½ c. of sour cream before placing them in the baking dish.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Ingredients
4 potatoes average size (about the size of a woman’s fist)
¼ c. finely chopped onions (or 1 tsp. onion powder)
1½ c. grated cheddar cheese (or gruyere, Fontina, or other; or combination)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 eggs
1 c. whole milk (lactose-free works fine)
¼ c. flax seed meal
¼ tsp. black pepper
Dusting of paprika
Salt to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350˚. Slice the potatoes very thin (no need to scrape off the skins). If your potato slices are thicker, then you will need to bake the casserole longer to get the potatoes to soften up. Chop the onion. Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent (a few minutes). Grate the cheese. Grease a baking dish with butter and then spread 1 tbsp. of olive oil in the bottom of it. Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish, sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese (about ½ c. on top. Spread a second layer of potatoes, cover them with the onions (or onion powder) and again sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Place the final layer of potatoes in the baking dish and cover them with the rest of the cheese. Beat the eggs and combine them with the milk. Add the salt and pepper to the eggs and milk. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle the flax seed meal across the top. Dust with paprika. Generously dot the top with butter.
Cover the casserole and bake for 50 minutes at 350˚. Then uncover the casserole and bake for an additional 15 minutes to crisp the top.
If you want a richer and creamier au gratin, then toss the potato slices with ½ c. of sour cream before placing them in the baking dish.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
You will rarely find me putting sugar in a recipe, but a good strawberry rhubarb pie requires sugar. The strawberries and rhubarb are delicious, of course, but they are also tart. So if you prefer not to cook with sugar then you should skip this one. If you don’t mind a now-and-then foray into decadence, then try this recipe. A dollop of vanilla ice cream on top makes this perfect.
Ingredients
2½ c. diced pink rhubarb
2½ c. chopped strawberries
1 c. maple syrup
1 tbsp. tapioca flour
2 tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. orange peel (optional)
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 tbsp. butter
1 double-crust pie shell (either make from scratch or purchase ready-made—see below)
Directions
You will need a double-crust pie shell for this pie. You can either purchase a couple of readymade pie shells (use one on the bottom and put one on the top) or you can make your crust from scratch. Refer to my discussion about pie crusts (both with and without gluten) if you decide to make your own. A lattice crust is traditional for a strawberry rhubarb pie. The rest of this recipe assumes that you have the pie crust in which to place the strawberries and rhubarb.
Preheat the oven to 400˚. Chop the rhubarb and strawberries. In a large bowl combine the rhubarb and strawberries with the maple syrup, tapioca flour, and orange peel. Dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice until it is smooth and blended, then add that to the rest of the filling mixture. Take a taste of the pie filling and add more syrup if you want it sweeter.
Prepare your bottom pie crust and place it in the pie pan then roll out your top pie crust. Refer to my discussion of pie crusts to make the crust from scratch. Do not place the filling into the bottom crust until the oven is preheated and you have the top crust ready. If you make a lattice top crust from scratch, you will, of course, need to put the filling into the bottom crust before you can lay the lattice crust across the top. Dot the filling with butter before putting the top crust on. Bake for 10 minutes at 400˚ and reduce heat to 350˚, then bake for another 45 minutes.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Ingredients
2½ c. diced pink rhubarb
2½ c. chopped strawberries
1 c. maple syrup
1 tbsp. tapioca flour
2 tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. orange peel (optional)
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 tbsp. butter
1 double-crust pie shell (either make from scratch or purchase ready-made—see below)
Directions
You will need a double-crust pie shell for this pie. You can either purchase a couple of readymade pie shells (use one on the bottom and put one on the top) or you can make your crust from scratch. Refer to my discussion about pie crusts (both with and without gluten) if you decide to make your own. A lattice crust is traditional for a strawberry rhubarb pie. The rest of this recipe assumes that you have the pie crust in which to place the strawberries and rhubarb.
Preheat the oven to 400˚. Chop the rhubarb and strawberries. In a large bowl combine the rhubarb and strawberries with the maple syrup, tapioca flour, and orange peel. Dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice until it is smooth and blended, then add that to the rest of the filling mixture. Take a taste of the pie filling and add more syrup if you want it sweeter.
Prepare your bottom pie crust and place it in the pie pan then roll out your top pie crust. Refer to my discussion of pie crusts to make the crust from scratch. Do not place the filling into the bottom crust until the oven is preheated and you have the top crust ready. If you make a lattice top crust from scratch, you will, of course, need to put the filling into the bottom crust before you can lay the lattice crust across the top. Dot the filling with butter before putting the top crust on. Bake for 10 minutes at 400˚ and reduce heat to 350˚, then bake for another 45 minutes.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Peach Pie
The most perfect peach pie is made with fresh peaches in season. If you blanch them in boiling water for a minute, then the skins will pull right off. Or of course you can scrape the skins off if you prefer. If you don’t have fresh peaches handy, you can still make a delicious peach pie with frozen or canned peaches.
Ingredients
7 fresh peaches peeled and chopped or 4 c. frozen or canned peaches
¼ c. honey
1 tbsp. tapioca flour
½ cup raisins (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. mace
1 double-crust pie shell (either make from scratch or purchase ready-made—see below)
Directions
You will need a double-crust pie shell for this pie. You can either purchase a couple of readymade pie shells (use one on the bottom and put one on the top) or you can make your crust from scratch. Refer to my discussion about pie crusts (both with and without gluten) if you decide to make your own. The rest of this recipe assumes that you have the pie crust in which to place the peaches.
Preheat the oven to 350˚. If you use fresh peaches, remove the skins and pits and chop the fruit into bite-sized pieces. Combine the peaches, honey, tapioca flour, cinnamon, and mace. Add the raisins if you decide to include them. (Note that many children don’t like raisins in pie so better to leave them out if you are baking for children and you don’t know how they feel about raisins.) Blend the ingredients together.
Prepare your bottom pie crust and place it in the pie pan then roll out your top pie crust. Refer to my discussion of pie crusts to make the crust from scratch. Do not place the filling (peaches) into the bottom crust until the oven is preheated and you have the top crust ready. When your crusts are ready, place the peach filling in the bottom crust. Then cover the peaches with the top crust and place the pie in the oven. Bake for 1 hour at 350˚.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
Ingredients
7 fresh peaches peeled and chopped or 4 c. frozen or canned peaches
¼ c. honey
1 tbsp. tapioca flour
½ cup raisins (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. mace
1 double-crust pie shell (either make from scratch or purchase ready-made—see below)
Directions
You will need a double-crust pie shell for this pie. You can either purchase a couple of readymade pie shells (use one on the bottom and put one on the top) or you can make your crust from scratch. Refer to my discussion about pie crusts (both with and without gluten) if you decide to make your own. The rest of this recipe assumes that you have the pie crust in which to place the peaches.
Preheat the oven to 350˚. If you use fresh peaches, remove the skins and pits and chop the fruit into bite-sized pieces. Combine the peaches, honey, tapioca flour, cinnamon, and mace. Add the raisins if you decide to include them. (Note that many children don’t like raisins in pie so better to leave them out if you are baking for children and you don’t know how they feel about raisins.) Blend the ingredients together.
Prepare your bottom pie crust and place it in the pie pan then roll out your top pie crust. Refer to my discussion of pie crusts to make the crust from scratch. Do not place the filling (peaches) into the bottom crust until the oven is preheated and you have the top crust ready. When your crusts are ready, place the peach filling in the bottom crust. Then cover the peaches with the top crust and place the pie in the oven. Bake for 1 hour at 350˚.
Eat well, be well, live deliciously!
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